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Coptic Protesting - What's the point?

ZoxsasiZoxsasi
edited December 1969 in Coptic Orthodox Church
Can someone kindly tell me, what IS the point in Copts protesting?

What's the point in saying that "God protects us" and then going off asking others to protect you?


But what I REALLY dont get is this:

In this video, Copts are protesting:



They keep shouting:  "STOP KILLING CHRISTIANS IN EGYPT"

What exactly are they thinking? That if they keep on saying that, terrorists are going to say "Ohh... OK.. no problem, we'll stop then"

If that's their aim, perhaps they should say instead "Please stop killing Christians in Egypt"  ?

I'm really puzzled at what the Church's objective is with all this demonstrations.

Comments

  • dzheremi
    Maybe they are not protesting so that the Muslims hear them, but so that the British government, which has more clout than the Copts, might hear them and bring their concerns to Egypt or before national or international courts? Ideally, perhaps to get any future aid packages meant for Egypt tied to an improvement in human rights? (I know, I know...idealistic...)

    Shouting and marching and all that may not change anything in the way they would like to see it changed, but by the same token, certainly sitting at home and not ever raising your voice and just quietly being angry won't do anything. Keep in mind that at least in London Copts and other Christian minorities of the Middle East are free to express themselves. We have seen what happens when Copts try to protest in Egypt itself...

    You could protest for any number of reasons which are in and of themselves good reasons. Think of it this way: You don't measure the efficacy of prayer by how often God gives you what you want, do you? Protest can be measured similarly -- something like a cry for justice to secular authorities. I certainly agree that secular authorities and all of the secular world seems horribly disappointing and unjust, but nonetheless it is where we are, and we as Christians would like it to be better (more just, more loving, more free...however you want put it) than it currently is. What's wrong with that?
  • epchois_nai_nanepchois_nai_nan
    I agree with dzheremi entirely.

    We live in democratic countries and this is how minorities make their voices heard in democracies. Ideally, the protests gain press coverage and put pressure on the relevant people to take action. Protests are basically a public statement to the world that the protesters are not happy about something and demand change - the more publicity a protest gets, the louder their voices are and the more embarrassing it is for those responsible for getting those people upset in the first place.

    It's not about convincing terrorists not to commit terrorism, its about putting pressure on the people who should be stopping it.

    [quote author=Zoxsasi link=topic=10481.msg127270#msg127270 date=1295308712]
    What's the point in saying that "God protects us" and then going off asking others to protect you?


    Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (James 2:15-17)


    Prayer is essential for the Christian, but we live in a physical world, and physical action is almost always necessary in addition to prayer.

    PFM


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